Just a few weeks after Presence was in cinemas, we have another release from Steven Soderbergh, this time in the spy genre. Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender star as Kathryn St. Jean and George Woodhouse, married intelligence agents. When George becomes aware one of five people appear to have committed treason, he has to investigate, even though one of those five is Kathryn.
This is absolutely brilliant stuff. David Koepp’s screenplay is twisty and dense, probably the best of his career that stretches back to the 1980’s. The cast is impeccable, not only the two leads, but also Naomi Harris, Regé-Jean Page, a wonderfully louche Tom Burke and the brilliant Marisa Abela as the other four suspects; and a shady Pierce Brosnan, the second ex-Bond franchise performer, as their boss.
This is spy work at its most interesting, surveillance, double-crossing and trickery rather than grandstanding action, though there a lot of low key but intense sequences and a violent end to a marvellously tense climatic scene where the suspects are gathered together.
Reminiscent of Len Deighton’s Harry Palmer books and films, down to Fassbender’s thick rimmed glasses, Black Bag is certain to be one of this year’s most satisfying, and most gripping movies.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10